


By the Light of the Xingese Moon

by SonjaJade



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: F/M, Lolicon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-14
Updated: 2012-06-14
Packaged: 2017-11-07 17:59:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/433841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonjaJade/pseuds/SonjaJade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Al finally makes it to Xing after a long and difficult journey. Ling and LanFan encourage Al and Mei Chang to catch up; thank goodness for Ed's gift! **LOLICON** 13!Mei/17!Al. Mentions Preg!LanFan/Ling. EdWin humor in the omake! WAFF-y PWP.</p>
            </blockquote>





	By the Light of the Xingese Moon

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Lolicon piece. DO NOT READ THIS. If this doesn't squick you, then I hope you find I have done these two justice, and would very much appreciate a review with your comments and suggestions. This is a little AU, only in the way that Ed left first and has been at his destination longer than Al's been at his.
> 
> BTW, since Xing is supposed to be like China, I threw in some Chinese words and cultural aspects, etc.
> 
> And just for clarification, "come" is the verb, "cum" is the noun :3
> 
> Also:It took me over a week to get this just right: keeping them in character while progressing their relationship was HARD. It's a new record for me, both in terms of how long it took to write, and in how long I spent revising it. I hope I haven't disappointed you :) I almost titled it "Nothing Else Matters"... I had that song (and 2 other versions of it) on repeat while I wrote most of the sex, because I wanted it to be waffy, not smutty and cheap (like most of my other lemons LAWL). So thanks Metallica, you helped me a great deal with this one.

The journey to Xing had been rough. From the beginning there'd been problems, but it didn't cause Al's spirit to wan. When the train from Resembool to the new depot at the edge of the desert broke down on the track, he kept his companions entertained and distracted by playing a few hundred hands of poker and gin rummy. When the starkness of the desert threatened to drive them all crazy, he began making up silly songs and poems to lift everyone's spirits. He wondered though if they got more enjoyment out of making up dirty rhymes and watching his face turn red. When they finally reached the Xing border and Al realized he'd forgotten his wallet, with his money and traveling documents in it, on the broken down train, he didn't panic. He kept insisting to the guards in broken Xingese that he knew the Emperor personally, and finally after about an hour, an interpreter showed up and made a few calls to both Amestris and Emperor Ling's private staff. Alphonse was issued an immediate escort to the royal palace (another long journey on horseback), and he was given the nicest rooms in the palace for himself and his friends.

After he'd bathed in the ornately carved stone tub that stood in a special antechamber off of his bedroom, he dressed in fresh clothes and sat down on the Xing style bed, a thick pad of a mattress that sat on a slightly raised platform off the floor and was covered in silk. Al wasn't sure how long Ling would allow him to stay, so he didn't fully unpack. He took out a collection of worn envelopes from the inside of his vest pocket and stared at them. These were letters he'd received from Mei Chang while he recovered in Resembool, and they were his most prized possession, even more valuable to him than the lost wallet or passport.

With slightly trembling fingers, he traced her handwriting, then brought the little hand-tied stack to his nose and inhaled her scent. They had gotten to know each other quite well through their written correspondence and Al was very much looking forward to getting to see his Mei again. When he last saw her, she'd been a short and chubby little girl, no more than eleven years old, with Xiao-Mei perfectly complimenting her child-like appearance. Al hadn't known how much she would come to mean to him over the next two years, both in how well she knew alkahestry and as a friend. But as they both matured, what began as a strong friendship began to change, somehow strengthening further into that kind of relationship that Ed and Winry had… It had been about six months ago when it became obvious that Mei's childish hero-worship of him was changing into a young woman's romantic love. Al was surprised when he'd begun to have similar feelings towards her, and over time they both started to admit things to each other that they'd only recently admitted to themselves. It was these feelings that had led Al to make the difficult decision to leave home, almost as if her love for him had some kind of pull that could affect him across the hundreds of miles that separated them… He simply had to see her.

There was a sharp rap on his door, and a servant appeared, telling him that the Emperor had requested a private dinner with him. As Alphonse followed behind the young girl who'd come to fetch him, he could smell some of the elements of Mei's special scent, and his head oscillated constantly, trying to find her within the dimly lit halls of the palace. Mei had told him in her choppy handwriting that Ling wanted her at the palace with him after her valiant efforts with all that had happened in Amestris. She mentioned something about being Lan Fan's personal attendant, but otherwise he didn't know what position she held in her half-brother's court.

The servant finally halted before a sliding wooden door and opened it for him, bowing as she motioned for him to step past her. He was greeted by Ling, who was seated on the floor at the head of a long, low table that was covered in exotic food. "Alphonse Elric! What a joy it is to see you again, my friend! Please, sit and help me eat all this wonderful food!"

Al smiled. Same old Ling, just dressed nicer and able to enjoy a hearty meal without having to leave the bill to someone else. Al bowed deeply and said, "Your graciousness humbles me, my Lord. Many thanks for your generosity."

Emperor Ling of the Royal Yao Clan laughed loudly at that, then stood and gave the young man a bear hug. "Cut the bullshit, Al. You're one of my best friends, of course you're always welcome here, think nothing of it." He sat back down and nodded to another servant to provide Alphonse with a dish full of food. It had been quite a long time since Ling had seen the boy, and he was delighted to find that not only had the boy (now a man) filled out a bit over the years, but he'd grown tall and strong, something Ling was sure irritated his brother to some extent.

"I have to admit Alphonse," the Emperor said around a mouth full of some Xingese dish, "I didn't expect you to come here. I thought once you had your body back you'd find a girl in Amestris and settle down, become a state alchemist and use their resources to study the alkahestry of our people." He swallowed and continued, "I am happy you've decided to study it here though, hear it straight from the horse's mouth as they say."

Al smiled and struggled with the bamboo chopsticks. "Brother and I decided that it would be best to get away from Amestris for a while, and to find other resources for our research. Ed seems to think that most of the military's books and data are probably as corrupt as the top brass were. We're going to write new books, ones that aren't full of deception and lies, and we'll reshape how the world views our respective sciences." He stabbed at a chunk of meat and succeeded in finally getting it into his mouth.

Ling looked to the servant to the left of him, and moments later a gleaming silver fork was beside Al's plate. He bowed his head in the servant's direction and said in heavily accented Xingese, _"Xie xie."_

Ling smirked. "So how's the Shrimp these days?"

Al dug into his meal, chewing quickly so he could answer. "He's not the shrimp he was when you last saw him. After his body quit sustaining mine, he had a major growth spurt. He's finally taller than Winry, but I still have him beat by a few inches." He reached for his wine. "Since he can't perform alchemy anymore, he's gotten much stronger physically. All the chores Granny had us doing really whipped him into shape."

Ling raised an eyebrow, as he plucked a yellow vegetable of some kind from a bowl of rice and wolfed it down. "So, did he and the blonde ever get their act together?" He chuckled as his friend nearly choked. "I only ask because it was fairly obvious she meant a great deal to him… and he talked a lot about her when we were in Gluttony's belly…" he trailed off. "I figured they'd have a house full of kids by now, all that pent up sexual tension between them and everything." He leaned forward and waggled his eyebrows, "Did you hear anything? See anything?"

Al's blush rivaled the red robe Ling was wearing. Who knew Ling Yao was such a lecher? "Uh, no… He and I shared a room at Granny's, and if… if they did anything I don't know about it." He quickly added, "However, the last time I called to talk to Granny she told me that Ed had asked Winry to marry him, or at least that's what Winry thinks… He didn't exactly come out and say it the right way…"

Ling sat back and inhaled some more of his food and grunted. "That guy doesn't do anything the right way." He belched, a loud sound that echoed a bit in the large dining room. His face suddenly went blank, then warmed gently. "Well, I was hoping we could get through dinner first, but it appears the surprises I had for you have already arrived…"

Alphonse turned his gaze to where Ling was staring with a lopsided grin. Lan Fan was out of her assassin's garb and dressed in a fine lavender silk kimono, her hair done up like that of a royal queen… and she was most definitely pregnant. Lan Fan's gaze was gentle on Ling, and her automail hand rested lightly on her belly. But more than that, Al's amber eyes were drawn to the young woman walking just behind her, a short and petite girl with her hair spun into twin buns at the sides of her head and a tiny panda riding on her left shoulder. _'Mei…'_ his mind called. As if she heard him, she slid her dark eyes his way, and he wasn't sure if he'd gasped or if maybe he just held his breath for a moment… There was such longing in that single glance…

Mei had grown since they'd been apart, taller and thinner though still small. Her figure was no longer the shapeless form of a child, but the budding, curvy shape of a woman, and his eyes found themselves moving from her small, perky breasts to the well-rounded lines of her hips… He swallowed. The soft blue color of her outfit brought out the blue hue of her black hair, and the way she carried herself spoke of confidence and moxie. She looked amazing, much more attractive than he thought she would look, and he was stunned to feel the first pangs of _want_ for her, the tingling rush of his masculinity beginning to come to life deep inside his western style trousers…

 _She's still just a child!_ his mind screamed to the body part in question. _Settle down, will ya!_ But his body didn't care. Really, given that they'd been more or less flirting through the mail for half a year now, he could tell you that he felt she was much more mature than many of the girls he'd met of his own age back home. Mei had been through so much in her young life, and the experiences she had lived through had given her a much more grown up demeanor and outlook. He felt they were equals in everything, despite the age gap between them. Seeing her now only made it clear that at least in terms of time on the planet, they were not the same. Al would have to be on his guard around her, especially if he wanted her this badly already and they hadn't even had a chance to talk yet. He certainly wasn't gong to be executed for molesting a child. Still, he found it extremely difficult to rip his golden gaze away from her.

Lan Fan moved to stand next to Ling, waited as he adjusted his position so he could help Mei lower her to sit at the table. Her belly was big, and maneuvering her body wasn't easy. Once she was finally situated, she caught her breath and bowed her head to Ling. "Good evening, my Lord."

Ling kissed her deeply, causing Al to blush once more. He wondered if everyone in Xing was this _open_ about their private affections. Then again, Ling _was_ the Emperor now, he could pretty much do as he damn well pleased. He wondered if Mei was as forward… then he promptly cursed himself for thinking such a thing about a thirteen year old girl. "Lan Fan, you remember Alphonse Elric?"

She tipped her head towards him. "How are you, Alphonse? I hope you didn't have a hard time crossing the desert." She felt Mei Chang's ki fluctuating wildly and wondered if her husband did as well.

Al didn't really want to talk to Lan Fan, or Ling for that matter. He wanted to stare at Mei and take in her beauty, have a chance to spend some time alone with her before his research got started. She turned her face towards him and he felt like she was touching him with her gaze alone. He saw the glint of teardrops in the corners of her eyes and suddenly he felt his heart begin to jackhammer inside his chest, both out of excitement and guilt. He felt his face get hot, and knew he surely must be blushing yet again, but he didn't care. If he died right now, with her knowing he'd come all this way mostly just to see her, he could die happy in knowing that at least he'd finally had a chance to return some of the affection she'd shown him when they met over two years ago.

"Aaa-alll?" Ling drawled out with a confused look on his face. Lan Fan politely elbowed him hard in the ribs. They spoke with their eyes, and then Ling _finally_ understood (he always was dense when it came to love).

The young man blinked, watched as Mei's sensuous and heavy gaze lightened, then he looked over at Ling and Lan Fan who were wearing little knowing smiles. "Yes?"

"My Lady asked you a question…" Ling was rubbing her back gently with one hand while his other was firmly resting on her belly.

"Oh!" he started as Xiao-Mei bounded into his lap. The mood lightened as he laughed and patted the little panda. "Yes, the desert! It was calm, thank goodness. No sandstorms, and there were even a few clouds, so there was some shade for a few minutes." His eyes kept finding their way to Mei's, and each time he found it harder and harder to pull himself out of the trance she was putting him in. Even Xiao-Mei noticed this and she slipped away from him, completely unnoticed.

When Mei finally spoke to him, Al thought he would swoon. "Have you heard anything from Scar-san?" Her voice was even and melodic, not at all the high-pitch childish sound she used to have. Her dark eyes were like the finest ebony, gleaming in the low light of the dining hall, and they were doing that caressing thing to him again…

Al thought for sure he was going to stutter when he responded to her. "I understand that he's working with Major Miles from Fort Briggs to gather the Ishvallan refugees into a single area so that they can begin to rebuild their country and their race. I regret to say that I haven't actually spoken to him since he was taken away after I got my body back."

Mei hoped the look she was giving him spoke loudly enough to let him know what she was feeling for him in that moment as he replied to her, and she was really holding back on not insisting that she and Alphonse-sama be allowed to be excused so they could talk more openly, and certainly not about Scar or alkahestry or Xing… She was lost in his face… His handsome face, no longer thin and bony, made her heart sing with joy. He was well and healthy again, and now that he was made of flesh and bone once more, she wondered how different it would feel to hug him now. More importantly, what would it feel like to _kiss_ him?

Now it was her turn to blush. Ling and Lan Fan began to laugh at the head of the table. The two of them caught Al and Mei's attention. "I admire your resolve for not leaping across the table and making love to her right there, Al," the young Emperor remarked. The embarrassment between them was enough to fill the room with an uncomfortably strong ki.

"Please, my Lord, I would not treat a child in such a way," Alphonse said as he turned his gaze to his plate, not wanting to see Mei's reaction to that statement.

Ling laughed. "In this country Mei-Mei is considered an adult. She's capable of bearing children now, and therefore no longer a child herself. You can treat her as you would any other woman, if you catch my meaning…" Ling smirked as Al's face flushed again. He wouldn't say so to his friend, but he truly got a kick out of embarrassing him this way. The western world was so chaste and prudish, compared to Xing's culture anyway, and Ling was just playing it up in order to frustrate his guest. He chuckled quietly to himself as he placed a wet open mouthed kiss to his Empress' neck.

"My Lord, I believe it is time to end dinner. It would be wise to allow Alphonse and Mei some time to become reacquainted with each other." She tugged at his ear playfully. "I'm sure we can find a pleasant distraction while they catch up." Lan Fan's hand disappeared into his robes and Al and Mei watched as she gave a few teasing strokes to _something_ before she removed said hand and gestured for a servant to help heft her from her seat. Evidently Lan Fan enjoyed embarrassing the two little lovebirds as well. The Emperor grinned at his wife's participation.

"I won't need you until tomorrow Mei, please enjoy your visit with our guest," said Lan Fan. The two of them had come a long way from trying to kill each other at Dr. Knox's house in Amestris. In fact, they'd become almost as close as sisters. Mei bowed to her Lady in appreciation.

Ling practically jumped to his feet, steadying his wife then embracing her around her middle and kissing her rather passionately. Al's eyes widened when he caught a glimpse of their tongues touching and tasting each other and thought for sure his face must be purple by now. "You and I will reconvene in the morning, Elric," Ling said as he pulled away from his Lady. He winked, "I suggest you make the most of your alone time with my little sister." The two of them exited the dining hall, preceded by two guards and flanked by four more.

And then there was only a single servant left behind to clear the table, and Al and Mei. She stood up and watched as he slowly did the same. Mei spoke Xingese to the servant, and he quickly disappeared. They were alone for the first time in years, and though they had a ton of catching up to do, not to mention a wealth of information to discuss and document about the alkahestry of this country, it was all forgotten as the two of them opted to stare at each other for a moment. Now that they were alone, Mei had no problems standing up on the table and walking across to Al. On the table, she was just below his eye level, and at this close distance she could feel his quickened breath puffing in her face.

Al slowly reached up and let his fingertips softly caress the soft skin of her cheek. "This is the first time I've really touched you…" he murmured reverently. Her eyes closed, and tears splashed down her cheeks in fat drops. He brought his other hand to her face, brushing the droplets away as they fell. He stepped closer… Surely he couldn't feel too guilty over some innocent touches and maybe a quick sniff of her pretty hair.

Mei was so elated that he was really there, that he'd made a complete recovery and was so big and strong… "What do I feel like?" she asked in a wavering voice. For a moment they stared at one another, then Alphonse closed his eyes. She felt him trace the details of her face with the soft, almost catlike touches from his fingers. His palms cradled her cheeks for a moment, then they fell to her shoulders and slid down her arms…

"You feel perfect," he said as he wrapped his arms around her and crushed her to his chest. Mei buried her face in his shoulder and cried softly as she hugged him just as fiercely in return. They were quiet, simply cherishing the feel of each other after such a long time apart. It was the first time they'd ever embraced this way before, and it was the first time they'd recognized their feelings for one another in person. Al's senses were overloaded with everything Mei was. Her hair was soft and smelled so good, like some kind of sweet flower; her skin was smooth and silky and so warm… even her tears soaking through to his skin felt full of perfection. "Mei…" he said into her hair, her name feeling light and sweet in his mouth, like cotton candy melting gently on his tongue. It was easy to forget how young she was, now that she was in his arms. He never felt more complete then he did at that moment.

The girl in his grip took a deep breath at the sound of her name coming from her Alphonse-sama's mouth, being said in a mumbled human voice, not the tinny sound of the armored voice, or the frail and sick voice he had when he first regained his body… His timbre and tone was that of a grown man ( _her man_ , as she'd come to think of him), and it reverberated through her mind over and over again… How long had she waited to hear her name come from his flesh and blood lips like this, wrapped up in arms the way she was? She couldn't remember, but it didn't matter now. He was here, and she hoped she'd be able to hear him say her name all kinds of different ways… playfully, sternly, sweetly, tenderly… wantonly…

She raised her head, her slender fingers brushing his cheeks now, and she said, "I have waited a very long time for this, Alphonse-sama…" Their eyes were staring deeply into one another, and Mei stood on her tip toes. She tilted her head, brought her slanting lips down on his and kissed him softly.

At first Al stiffened, then he felt himself relax under this new sensation. Mei was so gentle… almost as if she knew how frightened he was of this first kiss. He pressed his mouth back against hers, then felt as she lightly licked his lips, as if she wanted him to open his mouth. Suddenly Al remembered how Ling and Lan Fan were kissing… He pulled back from her, his eyes almost frightened and nervous. "Mei, I don't know how…"

"I don't either," she replied, her eyes lidded but so warm and full of love. "There's no right or wrong way… Just do what feels right." This time he bent down to kiss her, and when she licked his lips, he opened up. Their tongues met tenderly, their eyes wide at the feel of it all, and they each marveled at how… _erotic_ and _sinful_ it felt to be kissing this way as opposed to just their lips touching. A pleased groan escaped from Mei, and suddenly Al was stepping back from her, panting wildly. "Alphonse-sama?" she asked worriedly.

He'd turned away from her, so completely mortified at how he'd lost himself in the moment and was _making out_ with a _child_ , how his length had sprung up _so quickly_ and was _so hard_ in the span of only a few seconds of her making that delicious groaning sound. He was _ashamed_ that he'd enjoyed it all so much, kissing her in that passionate way. "I-I… Mei… God, it's not you…" He heard her tittering behind him, then heard a quiet thud as she stepped off the table and came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his middle, her hands splayed against his belly.

"You're so stupid, Alphonse-sama." she teased. "Don't you think I know what happens when boys get aroused?"

Al felt as if he blushed any harder he might just pass out. "Geeze, Mei, don't say it like that!"

She laid her cheek on his back as she held him from behind, his hands now covering her own. "Why are you so embarrassed?" she asked, her tone concerned. "Is this not what you wanted? What we talked about doing when we were finally reunited?"

He swallowed. "It's… Of course it's what I want, it's just… It's… I'm just worried I'll do something wrong, like I'll accidentally hurt you somehow or do something you don't like." He shivered as she rubbed his chest for a moment. "That and you're still so young…"

"Alphonse-sama," she soothed, "I've already told you, there's no right or wrong way… And like my Lord brother told you, I am considered an adult here. Trust me, when my moon blood came, my tutors made sure that I knew how to please a man…" She let one of her hands slide down his front, touching the buckle of his belt briefly before going further and gliding down the front of his tented pants. He hissed and trembled and groaned in embarrassment. Then he felt Mei turning him to face her. She took one of his hands and brought it to her breast, making sure he could feel her tightened nipple standing through the silk of her shirt. "Besides, don't you think you have the same effect on me?"

"I want you too much," he said quietly, still in awe of their body's reactions as he gently thumbed over her sensitive peak. "More than a gentleman should…"

She was pulling him down with one hand while continuing to slide up and down his shrouded member. "Who said I wanted you to be a gentleman?" This time their deep kiss was desperate and needy, wet and sloppy and hungry. Al's hand squeezed at Mei's firm little breast, and when she squeaked in delight under him, he squeezed harder. His other hand traveled to her hip and pulled her close against him. Unfortunately, given their height difference, his maleness was bumping her belly instead of her womanhood. Al pulled away once again. This time Mei sighed in annoyance, "What now?"

He began to pace the floor. "Not here. I don't want to do this here where anyone can just walk in on us." He plopped down on a cushion for a moment, finding his wine and taking a long drink of it. "Hell, I don't even know how far we're planning on going with this!" He took another drink. "I mean, not that I don't want to with you, it's just… It's the first time we've seen each other in years, and this is what happens? We're undone by our lust before I even have a chance to properly court you?" He looked up at her. "Don't you think we're moving too fast?"

Mei's eyes softened on him as she came to his side, brushing his bangs out of his face. "Here in Xing we have an old saying. 'If you know what you want, why dawdle?' And while I can't speak for you, I know what I want… I want to share your bed with you and be your woman. I want to bear your children and help you and Edward rewrite alchemic history with the new books… I want to stand by your side always and grow old with you…" Her eyes were shining with unshed tears. "I've wanted this since before I left you in Amestris… I've dawdled long enough."

"Mei…" Al said as his hand cupped her face. "I had no idea you felt that way about me." He pulled her to his lap and kissed her chastely on the corner of her mouth. "I'm honored that you want to be my wife and give me a family. I can think of no one better to share my life with." He cradled her close to him, his hand running up and down her arm soothingly. After a little while, Mei untangled herself from him.

"Alright, let's go," she announced as she felt his erection finally go down enough that he could get up and leave the dining hall with her.

"Go where?"

"Back to your room." She smiled at his blushing face. She giggled, "You're really adorable when you do that."

"Shut up," he said with a little angry scowl as he got to his feet, reminding her completely of Edward. "Why my room?" he asked as he followed her down the maze of hallways.

"Because you have a private garden that the servants aren't allowed to enter." Mei was holding his hand as they walked hurriedly to his quarters. She slid the door open, led them both in, then slid it back and laid the locking bar down behind it. As she was crossing the room she saw the tied up stack of letters lying on the bed. "You brought them with you?"

He ran his fingers through his hair. "Yeah… I carried them next to my heart the whole way here…"

She turned and touched his face, her ebony depths shimmering again. "I love you, Alphonse-sama."

"I really wish you'd just call me Al, Mei," he said as he wrapped her up in his arms again. The younger Elric bent down and opened up for her before their mouths even met. He loved how she felt in his mouth, loved how she tasted too. In the privacy of his room his mind was allowed to wander a bit, and he wondered how far Mei planned to take him tonight in terms of their relationship. His mind's eye was flooded with images that would be considered morally improper with a girl Mei's age back home, but apparently those things were completely ordinary here in the exotic land of Xing… He was brought back to reality when Mei pulled away from him, her need for air driving them apart.

She looked frantically about the room for a moment, then said, "Gimme a hand, Alph-" she stopped and grinned at him, "I mean, Al." He watched as she stepped over to his bed and began stripping it to the heavy cotton covering. "Help me drag this out to the garden." They lifted the heavy mattress from the foundation and with some artful maneuvering they managed to get it out the door and out into the soft grasses.

It was beautiful out here. There were tall trees and perfectly manicured shrubs and flowers, a wonderful little pond and stone lamps that Mei quickly filled and lit. The twilight sky above them was wide and open and full of stars, and the moon was ripe and nearly full, shining down its silvery rays and giving everything a soft gray glow. It was as if they had stepped into their own world, a place where their respective ages were of no consequence and the only important thing in the universe was their love. The soft summer breeze carried the scent of the lush forests around the palace to them, and Al could only close his eyes and stretch his arms wide in the cool wind.

Mei brought the silken sheets out from the room and quickly made the bed, then sat in the middle and motioned for Al to join her. Mei watched as he blushed yet again, but he offered her a little lopsided smile, clearly beginning to relax a little now that she had secured them a private place. He pried his shoes off, then peeled off his socks, letting his toes wiggle in the grass before kneeling down and catching her lips as he crawled to her. Her fingers sunk into his hair as he left kisses on her cheeks, her nose, over her jaw and down her neck. His hand returned to her bosom and brushed over her tightened peak, and she moaned his name as he nibbled her ear lobe. "Mei…" he whispered against her neck, "What's going to happen here, I need to know…"

For the first time since she decided that she wanted to give herself to Alphonse, she felt very much like a little girl. Mei was suddenly acutely aware of the situation she was in, that _she_ had _put them in_ , and she wondered if she was really doing the right thing by forcing this to happen tonight, instead of letting it come naturally on its own. Mei was _beyond certain_ that Al was _the one_. Now though, in a moment of clarity, she wondered about the consequences of the events that had yet to come… She worried about how the rest of the world would view their relationship, worried about how her status as a princess might be affected by joining herself with not just a foreigner, but one of no political or economic gain… She worried about becoming pregnant at such a young age, though not concerned at how she and Al would care for the child or raise it. Instead she worried how it would interfere in the travels and studies the two of them would have to do in order to complete the research needed for the Elric brothers' epic overhaul of both alchemy and alkahestry… She closed her eyes and eased her head back. Her breath came in shallow little pants as she stared up at the night sky. No, she'd made up her mind, and she would tell him exactly what she wanted, like an adult. "Al… I want you… I want you to have my innocence…"

Al pulled away from the sweet spot he'd found on her neck, slid his hand from her nipple to her cheek, and he made her look him in the eye. He could feel her trembling, as if she was terrified of what had just come out of her own mouth. His sweet Mei, still so young and trying to be so grown up so soon… He'd told her many times in their letters to hold on to her youth as long as she could, that when it was gone there was no getting it back. But he also knew her well enough that she didn't take such heavy decisions lightly, and he was sure she'd thought about this for a very long time. "Are you absolutely sure? That's a priceless gift that can only be given once."

"It's always been your gift to receive Al. If you don't accept, I'll hold on to it until you're ready to take it."

He put his forehead against hers and sighed. "You can't imagine how much you mean to me, how incredibly large you are in my world despite how small your size is." He raised his head and Mei smiled at him sweetly, then she reached for the tie around his neck. "I would be honored to be your first," he said as he kissed her palm and pulled her close, "and your only."

"You've always been my only," she said and she jerked the tie away and threw it to the side of the bed, then began to unbutton his vest. Al fumbled with the toggles on her tunic, finally giving up and opting instead to enjoy her hands unwrapping him from his clothes. He helped her pulled his shirt and vest away, revealing his broad chest and slightly pudgy belly. She smiled at that. The last time she'd seen his stomach she could count his ribs easily, and the little belly he carried now only served to further confirm that he was healthy. Mei saw how his hands kept moving reflexively in his lap, like he wanted to reach up simply yank her top open. She grinned. Al was letting her make every first step, never pushing her past her limits. She sat back from him, slowly and deliberately showing him how the inner fasteners worked, then pulled his hands up so he could do it himself.

Al slowly and carefully opened her buttons as if each one was a delicate treasure, senses on alert as he watched for any sign of unease from her. Mei had told him in no uncertain terms that she was ready, but he knew sometimes she put on a brave face too, and he absolutely _would not_ do anything to her young body that she herself didn't ask for. If she asked him to stop right now he would (and secretly rejoice if she did). Al couldn't deny he loved her, couldn't deny he _wanted_ her the way a man wants a _woman._ But despite being ashamed and embarrassed at how he craved this _girl_ , this _child_ , he could refuse her nothing. If her deepest wish was for him to take her precious virginity from her, he would see it was done, no matter his awkwardness, no matter his reservations. He longed to provide her with everything she needed, including physical intimacy, and as he felt her tugging gently at his belt buckle, it appeared that this would be the first of many things he would be providing her with.

Finally, the last of her buttons were undone, and he opened her top slowly, revealing first one small, pale breast, then the other. He could only stare with his mouth open, never having seen a woman's bare body before. She was everything he'd imagined and more, and Al couldn't help the awed breath that escaped him. Mei giggled. "I see you're not familiar with the female form in its naked state." He continued to stare, though he managed to close his mouth and swallow. He shook his head slowly.

"You're _beautiful_ , Mei…" His eyes moved from her dusty rose colored nipples to her grinning face. "You're so beautiful…"

She brushed the comment off with a _psshh,_ then said, "Let's get the rest of these clothes off. We can't accomplish anything with only the upper half exposed," she said as she finally managed to unbutton his pants and ease the zipper down. Al caught her hands before she could begin to remove anything, laying her gently on her back and hovering over her, admiring what lay already exposed to him in the moonlight. As his hands roamed over her silky dips and curves, he discovered she still had some of her child's chubbiness and he delighted in how soft she felt because of it. His hands made quick work of her pants, which were, thankfully, much easier to comprehend than the tunic. He pulled the sash at her waist and released her from the bottoms of her pantsuit, then began to slide them off her shapely hips, down her strong thighs and off her muscled calves. The cloth that served as her underwear was pulled away, revealing the not-quite-full patch of curls that guarded her womanhood, and Al gently combed through the inky black fluff, a little look of curiosity on his face when he felt that some of it was already wet with her desire.

Mei was holding her breath, wondering if he would touch her private place in earnest or if he was just exploring what he'd never seen before. Al's molten gold eyes looked up at her. "You're sure about this?" She nodded, and forcing himself to take a deep breath and calm himself, he slipped a single finger between her outer lips and moved slowly up and down her damp folds, brushing against her tight little pleasure nub with each stroke. She gasped under his attentions and felt as her legs fell open a little wider. "I might be embarrassed as hell, but I know more about this than I let on…" He blushed even as he said so. Then he came back to her swollen bud and made tight circles while pressing gently down. Mei arched her back from the bed. Her blushing Al-sama was certainly gifted at touching her _there_ , and she whined under his touch. "Does it feel good?" he asked seriously.

"Uh-huh," she gasped, feeling a pleasant tightness beginning to build in her lower belly. "Please, more," she whispered as her eyes fluttered shut. He moved so that he was kneeling with her splayed open before him, drawing her legs up to rest over his thighs and now using two fingers to stimulate her. _"Tian le…"_ she gasped in Xingese, and Al felt a tiny smile come to his lips. Despite having never laid a hand on any female in this way before, if he was making her cry out in Xingese, then he must be doing something right.

"What's that mean?" he asked as he watched her pant and writhe. He moved over her plump little pearl faster and dared to bear down a smidge harder…

Her eyes snapped open, and she gave a needy whine, "It means 'Oh my God'." Al's face was lit with a gentle smile, and Mei rasped, "Don't stop, don't stop Al, please…" He continued his furious stroking of her tight bud. She sat up a little, her heaving body resting on her elbows. "Can you do that… inside me? Just like that, fast and pressing… but _inside_?" she panted.

He felt blindly for her entrance, and when he found it he slid deep, causing Mei's hips to buck up. " _Right there! Up!_ " she cried. "Curl your fingers _up!_ " When he did, he felt a difference in this particular spot as compared to the rest of her silken sheath. It was raised a little, rougher, and evidently it was her magic secret button. Al jammed his fingers into that sacred place, alternating between kneading circles and thrumming back and forth. It wasn't long before she was begging in Xingese for more. " _Geng! Geng! Qi gennnng!"_

He leaned forward and captured her keening mouth, then trailed soft kisses from her neck to her breasts. He stuck his tongue out and flicked over her taut nipple and she nearly rose off the bed completely. She was sweating and shaking, and he knew she was close, though close to _what_ he honestly didn't know. Would she release some semen type fluid like a man? Would she just feel that twisting tension in her gut snap and then ride those euphoric waves of bliss? Would it last a long while or would it be over in a short burst? All he knew was that it was unlikely she would climax their first actual coupling, and he sought to bring to at least one orgasm tonight.

"Suck!" she moaned, sounding as if she were in great pain.

"What?" he asked, his face flushing again, caught off guard by her demand.

"Like a baby! Suck!" Mei pushed his face down to her chest, trying to give Al a clue as to what she wanted. He put his lips around her stiff, rosy nipple and suckled like an infant, and that's when she finally shattered around his fingers, coating them in a gush of warmth as she called out his name in a needy whine. Al had never felt anything like it before, ever. It felt like she was sucking his fingers up inside her even as she was bearing down on him, and he could only imagine what it was going to feel like when his now aching maleness could be seated deep within her. He muttered a curse under his breath at the thought of it.

Mei was certain she'd never felt anything as good as falling to pieces at her Al-sama's touch. He'd brought her to the edge of madness with his ministrations and then shoved her into that exhilarating abyss, and it felt like she was tumbling over and over through that hot whiteness of pure ecstasy. She felt powerful and weak at the same time, and though she'd been able to bring herself to release before, it had never _ever_ been as spectacular as this. As she came back to earth, she touched his face. " _Xie xie_ , Al-sama…" Al took her limp hand and kissed her fingers, then kissed her sweetly on her full lips. " _Wo ai ni_ …" she whispered as she caught her breath.

"I love you too, Mei…" He laid down beside her, bringing his soaked fingers to his nose, finding her scent to be subtle and not unpleasant, and then ran his tongue out to taste what it was she made at his urging… Al found her taste to be slightly salty and tangy, comforting, _delicious_ , and he slurped her essence from his digits as Mei watched through lidded eyes.

Mei reached down and slipped her hand past the waist of his boxers, feeling him just about fully erect, and she made lazy strokes to him as he gathered her into his arm, tucking her warm body into his side. Al closed his eyes… Her hands were not particularly soft, instead they were slightly calloused from the kunei she performed her alkahestry with, but her grip was gentle and tender.

For the first time tonight, Al made it clear he was a participating member of this most special occasion, and he reached down and pushed his khakis and his boxers from his waist to his knees, then he kicked them off and flung them with his foot somewhere near the pond. He felt Mei stiffen beside him and he immediately regretted disrobing fully. "We don't have to do this tonight, we can wait…" he said softly as he reached up and tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

She gave him a worried look. "I want to do this… I-I just don't want to get pregnant. Not yet."

 _Thank God!_ he thought to himself. Al smiled as he sat up. "I'll be right back." Mei watched as he disappeared back into his room, his bare, tight ass winking in the moonlight and filling her with renewed desire. She could hear a shuffling sound, then a muffled 'Ah-ha!', then watched as he walked back out, her eyes on his bobbing manhood and the thick dark blonde hair that framed it. He was carrying a small silver colored tin with a red and black swirly pattern on it. Al sat down next to Mei and pulled to her sit up.

"This was a gift Ed gave me before I left on my way here." He handed it to her, and she examined the paisley-like forms. It was about the size of a pack of cigarettes and twice as deep. "He said I might need these since I was coming to see you. At the time I told him I wouldn't need them, but I'm glad he made me bring them now." He watched as she opened it and revealed several flat, square packages with what appeared to be rubber rings inside. Mei furrowed her brows as she looked at him questioningly. "They're called prophylactics… rubbers. They can keep us from having children until we're ready, Mei."

"Really?" Mei asked, her eyes wide as saucers and dancing with excitement. "How do they work?"

Al blushed hard, but answered honestly, "It keeps my seed from going inside you."

"But it doesn't count unless that part happens!" Mei looked as if someone had just told her the sky was falling.

"What do you mean it doesn't count?" he asked, thinking this was some kind of child's rumor, an old wive's tale or something silly like that.

"The first time, you _have_ to come inside me, or it doesn't count." Mei looked panicked.

Al took the tin from her and pulled out one of the packages. "I _will_ come inside you," he said, sounding as if he were explaining something to a very young child. "I just won't sow my seed, therefore keeping you from getting pregnant." He covered the tin and sat it in the grass as Mei continued to protest. "What do you mean 'it won't count'? I don't understand…"

Mei looked at him like he was fuckin' stupid. "Alphonse Elric. I can't believe you're about to disregard the law of Equivalent Exchange." He still didn't understand, as evidenced by the look on his face. She sighed loudly, frustrated. "You have some of mine inside you… I need some of yours inside me. It's Equivalent Exchange, Al…"

It finally dawned on him what she meant by their love making not counting: he had tasted her fluids, ingesting them into his body, Mei putting a symbolic claim to him by his doing such a thing. If she couldn't accept his semen inside her, then the exchange would be incomplete. Al would belong to Mei, but she wouldn't belong to him. Their coupling 'wouldn't count'. Al scrunched his face up in thought. If he came inside her, there was the undeniable chance that she could get pregnant. If he didn't come inside her, their union wouldn't count in her eyes, and he knew she would pester him about it until he finally did fill her full of his cum. There had to be a solution, there had to be a way around this roadblock…

"It's just one time, we'll use these every time after, I promise. Just this once, please…" She was begging, and it was breaking his heart…

 _Whatever my little woman wants,_ he thought to himself. Just as he was about to lay her back and part her legs and slip his raw, unprotected cock inside her, an idea struck him. "Mei, I _tasted_ yours… Maybe you could taste mine… and then you still won't get pregnant, and I can still take your virginity safely."

The girl smacked her forehead. "Of course! I forgot all about that! That would certainly satisfy the equation!" Mei felt stupid for not having thought of fellatio before. "It would keep me from having a baby… And I can't say I'm not interested in how you taste," she said as her eyes landed on him, hungry and caressing and wanton. She reached up and undid her hair, unwinding the buns and letting her tresses fall down her back in soft, long waves. Without saying anything, she gave him a playful shove, laying him back on the bed.

Al's gaze was fixed on her long hair, something he'd never seen out of its braids and twists before. She looked even more breathtaking than before, but not in the sweet young girl way… Mei looked _sexy_. He felt the electric surge of blood rushing to his groin, and for the first time since they began this slow process of deflowering each other, Al could admit that he was aroused and eager for her to begin pleasuring him. But first…

He grabbed her hand, pulled her closer to him, then loosely fisted the blue back silk of her mane. "Don't do anything you don't want to do…" he said quietly. Al watched as Mei smiled and nodded, then she leaned down and kissed him hard, grinning against his mouth when she felt him tighten his grip on her hair. Mei's hand snuck down to where his manhood was standing tall and thick away from his body. When her rough fingers wrapped around him and squeezed this time, Al moaned desperately into her mouth.

She chuckled darkly as she pulled away from him and repositioned herself at his side. "You want me to do it, don'tcha?"

He turned his head away from her. "I shouldn't… But I'd be lying if I said 'No'."

"I don't give a shit about what you should or shouldn't want," she growled. She gave him a few rough strokes as she purred to him, "Just tell me, do you _want_ me to do it?"

Alphonse bit his lip and squeezed his eyes shut. He felt his face flushing, no doubt red from his forehead to the top of his chest. Dammit, he didn't want to want it _so badly_ , but he did. Mei repeated her query, Kissing her way from his mouth down to his chest and then along his soft stomach, her fingers going further down to now softly squeeze and caress his heavy sack. He couldn't stop the whine that left him, couldn't control as his hand grabbed a hunk of her fleshy rump. "Yesssss, Mei…" he gasped.

"'Yes' what, my love?" she said as she leaned down and blew a warm breath across the head of his maleness, teasing him, but wanting to break him enough so that he wasn't holding back with her. She understood he was nervous because of her age, she knew he was afraid of hurting her. But honestly, after all the reassurances she'd given him, the riot act he kept giving her was getting old. She placed a simple kiss to his leaking slit and he jerked beneath her. Oh yes… Mei was going to break him of all that nonsense and _make him_ enjoy the experience.

"Yes… I want you to…" he croaked. She cocked her eyebrow, wanting him to further clarify what he meant. "I want you to swallow me down…" She smiled at him, and he felt himself become empowered with his admission. "I want you take me in your mouth, and do what you've been taught to do…"

"That's it," she whispered as she bent down to do as he said. Mei remembered the lessons her tutors had taught her one the wooden phallus, showing her how to work her mouth and lips and tongue in order to please any man she found herself with. "Then what? What should I do now?" _Oh, you're going to tell me, Al…_ she thought to herself.

"Make me spill my cum on your tongue! Then swallow it into your beautiful belly…" He released her ass and delved his fingers back inside of her as she began to stroke and lick him. Now that she was on her hands and knees, it was easy to push back into his touch, and she did so as she gasped in the darkness.

It felt like a ton of bricks had been lifted off his chest. Al was finally able to relax, able to admit he was _loving_ every touch she gave him. Mei took him deep in her throat, moving steadily up and down and sucking _just_ hard enough. As she came back to his head, she did some kind of flicking thing with her tongue, just under where his mushroomed tip met his shaft. Al's head thrashed back into the silken sheets as he growled out, "Holy hell, Mei…." He heard her giggling, _felt_ the rise and fall of her laughter resonating around and through his excited flesh. This, combined with the fact that he'd been pretty much on edge since dinner, brought his orgasm much earlier than he'd expected, and now Al's face was red in embarrassment for a completely different reason: he'd come too soon.

His hips pumped out of reflex, ribbons of white spurting forth and into Mei's little girl mouth. He was coming _so much_ , and it wasn't long before his creamy essence started to spill from the corners of her lips and dribble down her chin. "I'm sorry," he whimpered, "I'm sorry…"

Mei swallowed, then swallowed again… She gently released him with a ' _pop_ ' and she wiped at her face with the back of her hand. The girl looked at the substance in the silvery moonlight and smiled. Her Alphonse-sama had satisfied the exchange, and they now belonged to one another, at least in an alchemic sense (which was very important to her). She found his taste to be salty and thick, and she licked the remainder off of her hand. "Sorry for what?" she asked.

He reached up and ran his fingers through her long hair. "Sorry for coming so soon. You were so good though, and I'd been so worked up for such a long time…"

Mei laughed. "That's alright, Al! You'll be ready again in few minutes!"

Al looked at her like she'd grown a second head. "Are you kidding? I've never done it twice in one day before, let alone twice in an hour!"

Mei straddled him, then leaned down and kissed him slow and deep, Al groaning as he recognized his own taste in her mouth. He could feel her damp lips pressed around his wilting cock, surrounding him in warm wetness. He felt her fingernails scratch down his chest until she thumbed over his nipples, and he gasped as her hips rolled against him at the same time. Mei's weight, her slick and heated embrace, the friction of her soft flesh dragging over the thin velvety skin of his cock, her sinful touches to other erogenous places on his body, her passionate kisses the whole time all these things were happening… Al was beyond shocked to feel himself coming back to life.

Mei felt her face heat when his maleness seemed to thump against her, and the next time she ground against him, his half-turgid member stimulated her swollen clit directly, and she allowed a quiet cry to erupt from her lips; lips that were still firmly attached to Al's. Both his hands were cupping and toying with her small breasts, and at her needy sound, he gently thrust up, causing her to sit up and wriggle down to increase the friction of his flesh on hers.

"Please, Alphonse…" She'd never called him _just_ Alphonse before. "I'm really ready now…"

Seeing Mei sitting so pretty on him, feeling her silken folds lying on his now raging hard-on, and hearing her breathless voice call his _proper name_ was enough to provoke him into taking the lead. He sat up and gripped her hips, gathering her to him as he maneuvered them so that Mei was on her back. He reached for the little package lying beside the bed in the grass and tore it open. After getting on backwards the first time, Al finally unrolled the thin rubber sheath down his length to the root, then he gently pulled Mei's legs apart and knelt between them. "It's going to hurt, Mei," he said as he cupped her cheek.

"I know, it'll be over quick though."

Al blushed, then said in heavily accented Xingese, " _Wo ai ni, Mei Chang…_ "

Mei gave him a sweet smile as tears came to her eyes. "And I love you, Alphonse Elric."

He hesitated a moment, then leaned down and kissed her quickly before rearing back and gripping himself. Al brought his tip down and gathered her warm moisture, then slowly pushed inside, clearing a ring of muscle before feeling the smooth bumpiness of her internal fist. He went slowly, feeling her tight walls grip and pulsate around him. He heard Mei's panting breath, but he couldn't force his eyes open to see her face. He was burning every detail of her body into his brain, wanting to memorize everything about this place within her. As he glided in, he could feel his tip brush against that raised spot from before, and he backed out a little and angled himself to thrust into it.

Mei felt him pull out and she looked down between them with worry in her eyes. When he speared back into her hitting that _special spot_ , she gave up a surprised yelp. He chuckled above her. "I remembered you liked that earlier."

She narrowed her eyes and grunted as she squeezed him with her inner muscles, watching with smug satisfaction as he gritted his teeth against the agonizing sensation. "Don't tease me, Al…"

"Right," he said gruffly. "Sorry, Mei…" He looked her in the eye. "Let's get the hard part over and done with, okay?" Her gaze softened, and she nodded as she took several deep breaths. Al felt her relax around him, almost to the point where he thought she might have gone to sleep… Without warning her, he jerked his hips forward, sinking all the way to the very bottom of her depths, and when he thudded softly against the mouth of her womb, he stopped and took stock of both he and she at that moment.

Her interior had clamped down on him immediately after he'd breached her barrier, and he could feel her reflexes rippling all around him trying to come to grips with being so thoroughly _broken_. The pained squeak she emitted was enough to let him know that it didn't feel good yet, and he waited patiently for her to tell him to move. However, now that he was _finally_ inside her, all he wanted to do was pound into her until she was screaming his name for everyone within the palace to hear. When that inner voice tried to lay a guilt trip on him for what he'd just done to this _girl_ , he told it to get lost… _Mei's practically my_ wife _now… I don't need to feel guilty for making love to my wife._

Mei had felt worse pain in her lifetime, but this was the most _uncomfortable_ thing to have ever happened to her femininity. She could feel his chest heaving above her, knowing he was waiting for her to give him the word to start in earnest… She just needed a little time, just a moment to allow that bright red ache to dull some… Mei was stretched to her limit, so full of her lover that it wasn't helping the discomfort she was feeling, but she would be damned if she told him to pull out now, not after all they'd experienced to get to this point. The girl concentrated on breathing, on settling herself so that he could begin to move. His hands were planted above her shoulders, and as she calmed and relaxed herself, she let her fingers trail through the nearly invisible light blond hair on his forearms. After what seemed like an eternity, Al asked her if she was alright. "Yes," she whispered. "Thank you, I love you."

He bent down and kissed the tip of her nose. "I love you, Mei, with all my heart and soul." He moved to give one of her breasts a soft squeeze, then reached down and pulled her leg up around his waist while she followed suit on her own with the other leg, locking her heels at the small of his back. "Can I move now?" he murmured as he buried his nose in her blue-black waves.

She pulled him down even deeper, feeling that what was pain only minutes ago had faded greatly. "Mmm, yes, please." She felt as her Al-sama pulled slowly out and pushed slowly back in, moving fluidly with each motion he made. It didn't take them long to fall into a rhythm together, and soon they were moving as if this new ebb and flow of their bodies was an old habit. Al had placed all his weight on one hand as the other roamed her tight figure, sometimes fondling her fleshy tit, sometimes toying with her plump little nub, sometimes caressing her face. It didn't matter at this point who came first, but Al has hoping she would. He really wanted to bring her to a second fit of ecstasy if he could.

He drove himself into her harder, faster, changing his angle so that he touched her sweet spot inside over and over, and he couldn't help blushing as she called out for him to keep 'ramming that cock' into her 'aching pussy'. He'd never heard her talk so crassly before, at least not in his language, and though he was shocked and embarrassed, he _loved_ it. A short time after she'd declared he was 'the best fuck ever', she came _hard_ and covered him in her warm juices. Her nails were raking down his back in a sweet pleasure/pain kind of way, and he growled as he unhooked her legs from his waist and instead laid them over his shoulders and pushed her even further into the bed.

Mei's foul mouth finally stopped, in favor of just hanging open in a perfect 'O' as he pistoned _deep_ within her strangling grasp. His balls were slapping softly against the very bottom of her butt, making a quick smacking sound in the otherwise quiet courtyard. She felt herself getting ready to seize up around him again, and just before she was able to, she felt him pump _extra hard_ two or three times, and then he was still, every muscle in his arms and chest tight as drum, his face grimaced in rapture. He ground out her name: " _Meeeeeiiiiiii…_ " as she shattered around him, her trembling flesh spurring his thumping member to release way more cum than was necessary.

With the last of his strength, he slipped out of her, flopping exhaustedly to his back and gulping air into his lungs as he removed and tied a knot in the rubber. Mei laid boneless beside him, catching her breath as well. They watched the moon creep along the night sky, watching as it slowly hid behind a tree branch high in the air. A cool wind blew and Mei shivered. Al raised his head to look at her, and he started laughing.

"I can't believe we just did that." He was smiling with his eyes closed as he felt Mei slide up beside him for warmth. "I can't believe it… You were so wonderful, Mei."

She sighed, sleepy and sated. "I can't believe it either, but I'm so happy we did." She raised her head, catching his honey colored gaze. "And the next time will be so much easier."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, planting a kiss in her raven hair. "Already thinking about next time, that's my Mei…" Al twisted a lock of her hair around his finger. "When do you want to get married?"

She giggled silently. "According to Xing we're already married. You married me with that first push." She sat up and looked down, not surprised by the red smears of blood at the juncture of her thighs. "Though we skipped the formal ceremony, we are bound by my blood."

Al swallowed as he looked at what he'd done to her. "Mei… I'm sor-"

She grabbed him and silenced him with a deep kiss. When she released him, she said, "Don't you dare be sorry for marrying me Al… All the pain in the world would be worth having you for my husband." Another cool breeze floated through the garden and they both shivered, the heat of their activities now gone.

"Let's get cleaned up and dressed, then we'll lug this mattress back inside. After that we'll spend our first night together, how does that sound?" Al stroked her hair as she smiled and nodded. They gathered up their clothes, Al taking her small hand in his as he led her back inside. Once the bed was properly put back together and made with fresh, clean sheets, the two of them dressed in sleeping attire (Mei donning one of Al's soft undershirts and Al opting for only his pajama bottoms) and they snuggled up close to one another deep under a linen quilt, and they slept straight through until late the next morning.

* * *

"Any mail for me today, Nancy?" Ed asked the old woman at the post office in Knuester. The grandmother of four girls and two boys who lived only three stoplights away and didn't mind walking to her part time job so long as it wasn't raining (and the rest went in one ear and out the other at that point) handed him two letters and smiled.

"I see you got another one from that nice girl in Resembool," she said with a knowing lilt in her voice. "I bet you can't wait to go back to Mr. Tyre's place and read that one, can you Mr. Elric?"

Ed rolled his eyes. "You know, I bet the post master would be appalled to know that the sweet old granny manning the front desk was harassing everyone who came in to pick up their mail…" She laughed and waved her hand dismissively and Ed stomped out into the bright sunshine. He sat down on a bench by the fountain in the middle of the little city he was currently calling home, not even waiting to walk all the way back to the house where he was staying with Knuester's only alchemist. He ripped open the letter from Winry first, smiling as he read about Den chewing up Granny's favorite washboard, Gracia and Elysia Hughes coming to stay for a week, and the new schematics she'd drawn with Mr. Garfiel for an improved automail arm. As always now, she ended her missives with ' _I miss you and can't wait for you to come home. All my love, Winry._ ' He would kiss his fingers and place them over her name and whisper, "I love you too, Winry."

He folded the letter up and slid it back into the envelope and moved on to the next one, postmarked all the way from Xing. It could only belong to one of two people, and he had a feeling it was from his brother. Ed opened it up and pulled out a single sheet of fine parchment. On it was a short recount of Al's mishap filled adventure, a short plan of action concerning the resources to visit for the alkahestry research, and a little note of thanks. ' _Also, thanks for making me take that tin with me, I had no idea I would need it as soon as I arrived. One question though- can you send me some more? The girl is insatiable! Until next time, Alphonse'_

Ed's mouth hung open in shock. Not only was Al taller than him, not only was Al still able to perform alchemy, not only was Al the 'sweet one', he was also now the 'not-virgin' one! At first, anger raged through him. Then he thought of how much Al missed Mei, and how much he talked about her, especially on nights when Winry was in Rush Valley and the two of them would sit up on the roof looking at the stars and feeling lonely. Ed sighed. The kid deserved it. He'd been through enough, and Ed was genuinely happy for him, for _them_. He stuffed the letter and the envelope in his pocket along with the letter Winry had sent him, and he shuffled down the street to the general store and bought another tin and had them wrap it up. He scribbled out a quick note, ' _Al, congratulations on your recent milestone. You'll have to tell me what these feel like; me and Winry don't use them. –Ed'_

Ed chuckled to himself as he walked back to the post office. What little brother didn't know wouldn't hurt him.


End file.
